Vivian byam lewes



Patented Dec. 13; 1898. V. B. LEW ES.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

(Application filed Mar. 10, 1897.)

(No Model.)

Witnesses JW W rney.

m: ucnms PETERS coJHoro-umo WASHINGTON. 0.0.

Nrrnp STATES PATENT Erica,

VIVIAN BYAM LEVVES, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM W'ALLAOE GOODWIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND EMANUEL STEIN, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,996, dated December- 13, 1898.

Application filed March 10, 1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VIVIAN BYAM LEWES, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at the Royal Naval College,

Greenwich, London, in the county ofKent,

England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Gas, (for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Britain, No.

I0 2,914, dated February 9, 1894,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

I have found by experiment that water-gas, hydrogen, or mixtures of the two, when carbureted by the vapors obtained by decomposing hydrocarbons, yield a flame which, although it may be of high illuminating value, is fora given rate of consumption far shorter and smaller than the flame obtained from ordinary coal-gas and that in consequence of this it'has to be burned in larger quantities in order to obtain a flame which shall equal in ap- 2 5 pearance that of coal-gas. I have discovered that the longer flame obtained with coal-gas is due to the presence therein of from about thirty-five to forty per cent. of methane or light carbureted hydrogen, which gives body 0 and length to the flame and which only exists in carbureted water-gas or carbureted hydrogen to a considerably less extent than in coal gas-say from about sixteen up to twenty-six per cent. instead of thirty-five to forty per 5 cent. 7

The present invention has reference to an improved method of and apparatus for making gas specially suit-able for the manufacture or production of illuminating-gas richin meth- 0 ane, and therefore more closely resembling coal-gas in this respect than the illuminatinggas heretofore produced by the admixture of water-gas or hydrogen with the gas'obtained from liquid hydrocarbons.

For making such improved gas I employ apparatus of the kind described in my Letters Patent of the United States No. 538,923, dated May 7 1895, but which is constructed with a second injector or row of injectors arranged Serial No. 626,742. (No model.)

at a lower level than the oil-injectors shown in that patent. By means of such lower injector or injectors I inject tar or heavy hydrocarbon oils by means of steam, which may be superheated, into the hottest part of a mass of fuel previously raised to a state of incandescence by blowing air through it, whereby the said tar or heavy hydrocarbon oils will be decomposed, carbon being deposited and added to the bulk of the fuel, while large vol- 11 mes of methane and hydrogen-will be generated. WVhen this injection of tar or heavy hydrocarbon oils has gone on for a sufficient length of time to partly reduce the temperature of the fuel, I then inject into the said fuel by the upper injector or row of injectors lighter hydrocarbons,which,not being decomposed to so great an extent as the others, yield ethylene and other bodies of high illuminating value to the gas obtained. In this way it is possible to use three gallons of tar to one gallon of lighter hydrocarbon oil to make an illuminating-gas of high value. 7

vWhen far is used in large quantities for the purpose mentioned, a certain amount of fuliginous matter is carried over with the gas, and where stoppages are likelyto be produced from this cause I employ to obviate the same a construction substantially as follows: a gas-producer provided with suitable inlets for air, steam, and hydrocarbon, as in the apparatus set out in my patent aforesaid, and a regenerator charged with refractory material arranged checkerwise, this regenerator being in communication at the top with the gas-producer and at the bottom with a gas-outlet and with a tar Well or seal, the

arrangement being such that when the fuel in the gas-producer is being raised to a state of incandescence by the passage through it of air hot gases and products of combustion will pass through the regenerator and heat the contents thereof to a high temperature, after which the hydrocarbon gas produced by injecting the hydrocarbon into the incan descent fuel will be led direct through the heated regenerator, wherein it will be heated, and any hydrocarbon which may have escaped gasification in the generator becomes converted into a permanent illuminating-gas, which will escape by a suitable outlet to a sealed hydraulic main, while any products that might become condensed will pass out through an overflow. To assist the passage of the hydrocarbon gas through the regenerator and to prevent stoppage, a suitablyarranged steam-jet is provided, the steam decomposing the fuliginous matter with formation of water-gas. The regenerator may be advantageously arranged to form part of the same structure as the gas-producer, and the checker work therein may be composed partly of lire-brick and partly of small pigs or bars of iron, the latter being arranged at the lower part of the regenerator and serving to produce hydrogen, as in the process described in my Letters Patent of the United States No. 551,903, dated December 24:, 1895.

The outlet-pipe from the bottom of the regenerator may be inclined, its upper side being provided with an outlet-pipe for the escape of producer-gas during blowing, and its lower end being in connection with the seal, suitable removable covers or plates being provided to admit of the pipe being cleared when necessary.

To enable the gas-producer to be raised to a suitable state of incandescence in a quicker and more uniform manner than has heretofore been usual, the said gas-producer is or may be constructed with one or more air-inlets at different levels in addition to the inlet at the bottom of the gas producer, so that two or more blasts of air will be injected into the fuel simultaneously at diiferent points in its height. This arrangement of air-blasts may advantageously be used in connection with gas-producers for producing gas other than oil-gas--as, for example, watengas.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows, partly in front elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 2 in end elevation, apparatus suitable for carrying out my present invention and designed to obviate stoppages due to fuliginous matter carried off by the gas produced.

1 is a gas-producer comprising an outer metal casing lined with refractory material, such as fire-brick, and provided with inlets 2 for fuel and outlets 3 for clinker, these inlets and outlets being normally closed by doors 2" and 3, respectively.

4 is a pipe through which and the branch pipes 4 air can be blown from time to time into the bottom of the gas-producer, below the grate-bars therein, for the purpose of raising the fuel therein to a state of incandescence.

5 and 5 are additional air-inlets arranged, respectively, at the upper and lower parts of the gas-producer, and 5 are intermediate airinlets each in communication by a branch pipe 6 with the main air-pipe 4, so that several blasts of air can be injected into the fuel simultaneously at different pointsin its height for the purposes hereinbefore mentioned.

7 is a steam-superheating coil embedded in one of the end walls I of the gas-producer. One end of this pipe is connected with a steam-generator (not shown) and its other end with a pipe 8, provided with a valve 9.

10 are the upper injectors, of which four are shown, through which a light hydrocarbon, supplied by a main oil-pipe 11 and branch pipes 11, is blown into the mass of incandescent fuel in the gas-producer 1 by means of superheated steam supplied from the stean1- pipe 8 by vertical and horizontal branch pipes 8 S respectively.

12 are lower injectors, of which five are shown, through which ordinary coal-tar or heavy hydrocarbon oil, such as furnace-oil or crude oil, supplied by a main supply-pipe 13 and branch pipes 13, is blown into the hottest portion of the mass of incandescent fuel in the producer by means of superheated steam supplied from the said steam-pipe 8 by the vertical branch pipe S and a horizontal branch pipe 8.

14 is a regenerator that is arranged to form part of the same structure as the gas-producer 1. It is charged with refractory material arranged checkerwise, the upper portion 14: of such material being composed of fire-brick, while the lower portion 1 1 consists of small pigs or bars of iron. The regenerator is in communication at the top, by a passage 15, with the gas-producer, and at the bottom, by an outlet 16 and tar well or vessel 17, with a gas-outlet 18. The tar well or vessel is provided with a vertical division 17, the lower end of which is sealed by liquid in the said tar-well.

19 are steam-jets connected with the steampipe 8 and whereby jets of superheated steam can be introduced into the regenerator for the purpose of assisting the hydrocarbon gas coming from the gas-producer l to flow downward through the regenerator, and thence to the gas-outlet 18.

20 is a vertical pipe to serve as a chimney to facilitate the lighting of the fuel in the gasproducer at starting. This pipe is normally closed by a snift-va1ve 21.

22 is an outlet-pipe in direct communication with the outlet 16 of the regenerator and through which, upon opening the valve 23 with which it is provided, producer-gas is permitted to escape when blowing the gasgenerator with air to raise the fuel therein to a state of incandescence.

24 is a door, by removing which access can be gained to the regenerator for cleaning or other purpose, and 25 are removable covers or plates to admit of the outlet 16 and pipe 18 being cleared when necessary.

The gas-producer may be provided on both sides with air-inlets and steam and oil injectors; also, the air-blast pipes or passages may be formed in the lining of the gas-producer, if desired.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Carbonaceous fuel, such as coke,is introduced into the gas-producer 1, ignited, and then raised to incandescence by air forced through the air-inlets 4, 5, 5, and 5 from the blastmain 4, the products ofcombustion thereby produced, and consisting largely of carbon monoxid and nitrogen,bein g led away through the outlet 15, down through the regenerator 14, and thence through the outlet-pipe 22, the valve 23 of which is then opened. By this means the refractory material 14 14 in the regenerator and the end wall 1 of the gas-producer containing the steam-superheating pipe 7 are raised to the required high temperature and iron oxids on the pigs or bars l4 reduced to metallic iron. The air-blast is then cut off and ordinary coaltar or heavy hydrocarbon oil, such as hereinbefore mentioned, is introduced through the lower set of injectors 12 by means of superheated steam from the pipe 8 into the lower and hottest part of the mass of incandescent fuel in the gas-producer, where it will be decomposed into gas and carbon, the gas, containing large quantities of methane and hydrogen, escaping through the heated regenerator 14, and the carbon being added to the fuel in the gas-prod ucer 1. During this operation the flow of gas through the regenerator is assisted by jets of steam from the nozzles 19, the escaping gas displacing the liquid seal in the lefthand side of the tar-well 17 sufficiently to enable it to pass under the division 17, and thence to the outlet 18, any matters condensed from the gas falling into the tarwell, from which they ultimately pass away by an overflow 17 Owing to the great heat of the regenerator 14 part of the steam admitted thereto from the nozzles 19 will be decomposed, and by combining with fuliginous matter carried over with the escaping gas will form an additional quantity of gas and at the same time prevent choking of the regenerator. After this operation has gone on for a sufficient time to partly reduce the temperature of the fuel the supply of tar or heavy hydro carbon oil and steam to the lower row of injectors 12 is or may be cut off and lighter hydrocarbon, such as paraffin, is injected by means of steam into the upper portion of the mass of red-hot or incandescent fuel through the upper row of injectors 10, whereby ethylene and other bodies of high illuminating value are produced, which escape through the regenerator, tar-well, and outlet-pipe l8 and are mixed with the gas containing methane and hydrogen previously produced. This generation of gas is continued until the temperature of the fuel in the gas-producer has fallen below the required point. The steam and hydrocarbon are then shut off and air turned on to the various air-inlets 4, 5, 5, and 5 so as again to raise the fuel to a state of incandescence, any hydrocarbon remaining in the gas-producer assisting the carbon monoxid generated by the action of the air on the fuel to reduce to the metallic state any oxid of iron that may have been formed on the pigs or bars of iron in the regenerator by the action of the steam admitted to such regenerator by the nozzles 19, so that such pigs or bars of iron will be ready for reuse when again generating illuminatinggas,

Instead of injecting the tar or heavy hydrocarbon oil and lighter hydrocarbon alternately into the gas-producer the injection of the former may be continued after the supply of the latter has been turned on, so that at this time both light and heavy hydrocarbon will be injected simultaneously into the gas-producer.

The injection of the hydrocarbons with steam directly into the mass of the incandescent fuel forms an important part of the process, for the reason that the steam attacks the incandescent carbon of the fuel, forming water-gas, which so protects and dilutes the vaporizing hydrocarbon that the decomposition thereof is arrested before it has gone too far, and as a result a permanent gas of high illuminating value is obtained, the carbon deposited from the hydrocarbon on cracking remaining to provide an increased quantity of fuel in the generator instead of choking the apparatus.

lVhen working with a gas-producer 1 having the following internal dimensions-viz,

twelve feet high, twelve feet wide, and eight feet from front to backI have obtained satisfactory results by using three gallons of tar to one gallon of paraffin, the injection of the former taking about five minutes and the inj ection of the latter about the same time, the

steam used being at a pressure of about one hundred pounds to the square inch and heated to a temperature of about 400 centigrade. The relative quantities of steam and hydrocarbon admitted through the injectors into the incandescent fuel should be so regulated that the gas generated in the gas-producer shall be of a brown color.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The herein-described method of manufacturing illuminating-gas, which consists in blasting a bed of fuel to incandescence, in-

jecting heavy hydrocarbons with steam directly into the lower and hottest part of the fuel, thereby decomposing the hydrocarbon into gas and carbon, whereof the gas contains large quantities of methane, and hydrogen, water-gas being formed at the same time, and injecting a lighter hydrocarbon with steam directly into the fuel at a higher level, to produce hydrocarbon and Water gases, which are mixed with the gases first formed.

2. The herein-described method of manufacturing illuminating-gas, which consists in injecting with steam a heavy hydrocarbon into the lower and hottest portion of a mass of incandescent fuel in direct contact therewith, and injecting with steam a lighter hydrocarbon directly into the upper or cooler portion of the fuel, and mixing the gases so formed, substantially as specified.

3. The described method of manufacturing illuminating-gas, which consists in blasting a body of fuel to incandescence, injectingtar or heavy hydrocarbon oil with steam directly into the body of incandescent fuel, to produce a gas containing methane and hydrogen and also water-gas, injecting a lighter hydrocarbon with steam directly into the said body of fuel to produce ethylene and other bodies of high illuminating value with water-gas, and conducting said gases through a regenerator, substantially as described.

4. The herein-described method of manu facturing gas, which consists in blasting a mass of fuel to a state of incandescence, injecting heavy hydrocarbon with steam directly into the lower and hottest part of the mass of incandescent fuel, thereby decomposing the hydrocarbon into gas and carbon with watergas, whereof the gas contains large quantities of methane and hydrogen, injecting a lighter hydrocarbon with steam into the said mass of fuel to produce ethylene and other bodies of high illuminating value, conducting said gas through a highly-heated regenerator charged with refractory material, such as fire-briek, and partly with iron, and injecting steam into said regenerator, whereby fuliginous matter carried into the regenerator by the escaping gas is converted into additional gas,substantially as described.

Apparatus for the manufacture or production of gas, comprising a gas-generator constructed to contain incandescent fuel, a blast-pipe for admitting air to said generator, injectors directed into said generator at different levels, and respectively connected with a source of steam-supply and with independent sources of hydrocarbon-su pplies,and a regenerator, communicating at the top with the upper portion of the generator, and at the bottom with a gas-outlet pipe, substantially as specified.

6. In apparatus for the manufacture or production of gas, the combination with a gasgenerator, of a regenerator Which communicates at the top with the generator, refractory material and iron arranged in the regenerator to form gas-passages therethrough, and a tar-well, having a division-plate extending partially to the bottom thereof, and communicating upon one side of the said plate with the regenerator and at the opposite side with a gas-outlet, together with means for injectin g steam into said regenerator, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VIVIAN BYAM LE\VES.

Vitn esses:

HENRY ALFRED Woonnnmen, REGINALD GRAY IIITCHINS. 

